Snap-hook.



J. B. BAXTER.

SNAP HOOK.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 5.1913.

13256311. Patented Feb.12,'191s;

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"UNITED STATE ATENT @FFIQE,

JOHN B. BAXTER, or WATERVLIEI, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COVERT MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SNAP-HOOK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. BAXTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVatervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap- Hooks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain improvements in snap hooks of the character embodying a body part having at the front end thereof an overlying hook portion and a tongue member pivoted adjacent the rear end of the body part and adapted at its forward end to engage the bill of the hook and to be held in contact therewith through the medium of an interposed spring.

The improvements reside more particularly in the novel means of support for the spring and associated parts of the hook construction, with a view to simplifying constructions of this character, reducing the cost of manufacture, increasing the strength and generally improving on the appearance, symmetry and efiiciency of hooks of this type.

More particularly the invention has to deal with a snap hook of the character above specified, in which a double U-shaped spring is employed, the same being mounted at the bend or loop on a suitable pivot, with one arm of each U-shaped part in engagement with the tongue and the other arms in engagement with the body part of the hook. The double Ushaped spring may be an integral member or formedin sections, and in either event, novel and efficient means is employed for properly supporting and guiding the spring parts whereby any unnecessary friction between the tongue and spring is obviated. and whereby the spring parts offer substantially no obstruction beyond the sides of thehook shank. at the same time doing away with guide flanges or other projections intermediate the sides of the tongue for engaging the spring.

Novel details in the construction and arrangement of parts will be appreciated from the description to follow when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment-of the invention Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918. Serial No. 771,990.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation, parts being broken away,

Fig. 2 is a front plan View with the tongue shown in section,

Figs. 3 and t'are detail views of parts removed,

F ig; 5 is a detail view of a modified type of spring applied to the body part of the hook, the latter being cut away, and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of spring removed.

with more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 is the hook, the same terminating at its forward end in a return hook part 2, overlying the front edge of the shank and having a flared bill portion 3 with inwardly projecting side flanges 4 adapted for the reception of the free end of the tongue to be presently described.

Preferably integral with the rear end of the shank l is a U-shaped part 5, the free ends of the arms of which are apertured for the reception of a suitable pintle or bearing 6 adapted to support a roller or the like 7. The rear end of the shank 1 at its point of connection with the loop 5 has a forward offset part or flange S slightly widenedand intermediate the sides of the flange is a relatively thin tongue or flange 9 apertured at 10.

The tongue member proper is conveniently U-shaped comprising a body or engaging part 11 and opposite arms 12, the same being separated a sutlicient distance to readily engage over the enlarged portion 8 of the shank 1 of the body part. The forward end 13 of the tongue is adapted to fit in the pocket formed by the flanges 4 at the end of the hook member 3, when the tongue is in closed position. The side flanges 12 of the tongue adjacent the rear end thereof have a suitable aperture 14 therethrough adapted to register with the aperture 10 of the flange 9. A suitable pivot pin isadapted to extend through said registering apertures whereby the tongue is pivotally supported at this point; i

The means for normally holding the tongue in looking position with respect to the hook, preferably takes the form of a double U-shaped spring, which may be a shank or body part of formed in two flat spring sections 15 as indicated in Fig. 5, or two coil spring sections 15 one of which is illustrated in Fig. 6. In the preferred construction, however, as shown in the remaining figures of the drawing, I make use of a duplex coil sprlng 15. In either case, the opposite U-shaped arms of the spring are arranged one to each side of the relatively thin tongue or flange 9 and engage the inner surface of the shank 1 at the offset portion 8 thereof. Likewise the arm of the spring or springs are held properly spaced by said flange 9. One arm of each spring part is adapted to engage the inner surface of the body part 11 ofthe tongue, the side flanges 12 of which form a housing therefor. The offset part 8 at 0pposite sides of the flange 9 form suitable shoulders or bearing surfaces for the coils or bend of the spring members, and the pivot pin for the tongue, which is given the numeral 18 forms also the pivot for the spr ng members.

The tongue 9 being relatively thin as shown, the adjoining shoulders of the offset end of the shank forms with the tongue 9 receiving pockets for the coils or bend of the spring parts, and the side flanges 12 of the tongue will be thereby spaced from the sides of the spring to the end that the tongue may readily move about its pivot upon pressure being applied thereto. Also because of the construction of receiving pockets in the shank part for the spring, it is possible to form the tongue which overlies the spring and shank of substantially the same width from end to end, and without any extended bulging at its pivotal connection with the body part of the hook.

What I claim is:

1. In a snap hook, the combination of a body part having a shank and bill, the shank having an angled extension projecting for:

wardly from the front edge thereof, said angled extension having oppositely disposed reduced portions, whereby to form a relatively thin tongue projecting forwardly over the body part of the shank and intermediate the sides thereof, a closure tongue having side flanges extending substantially from end to end and adapted to overlie the sides of the shank and the sides of the angled extension of the shank whereby to form oppo sitely disposed spaces between the inner surface of the sides of the closure tongue and the sides of the relatively thin tongue, a pintle projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the relativelythin'tongue at a point spaced from-the other surfaces of the shank, the side flanges of the closure tongue hav= ingapertures to receive the projecting ends Copies 01; this patent may be obtained for fiver-cents each, by addressing the j Washington, D. C. i

of the pintle whereby to constitute a pivotal connection for the closure tongue, and a twopart spring means, the oppositemembers of which have a pivotal engagement with said pintle at opposite sides of the relatively thin tongue of the shank extension and adapted to normally retain the closure tongue in closed position, and said angled extension rearwardly of the reduced portion of the shank being of a width to project laterally beyond the sides of the spring andsides of the tongue being substantially con-' tinuous and flat and adapted to overlie the sides of the shank and the sides of said angled extension at the enlarged portion thereof, and atwo-part spring means, one part being interposed in each of said .re-

ccsses and adapted to engage respectively the shank and tongue of the hook, substantlally as and for the purpose described.

3. In a snap hook, the" combination of a V shank having a rear end projecting beyond the front surface thereof, and the forward end terminating in a 'hook part overlying the said front surface, said rear end having cutout part on opposite sides forming a centrally disposed thin tongue, a return bend spring part positioned in each of said cutout parts, said spring parts adapted to have free bearing atthebend upon the walls of the shank embordering said cutout parts, and a substantially U-shaped tongue pivoted to the shank whereby the sides thereof overlie the sides'of the shankand the free end thereof engages said hook part, the sides of the tongue being free from lateral projectlons, and forming with said cutout parts of the rear end of the shank receiving pockets for thespring means, and the spring means offering no obstructions beyond the sides of the shank and adapted to engage respectively the tongue and shank whereby V to maintain the latterin closed position. i

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature" in presence of two witnesses. 7

1 JOHN B. BAXTER.

'Witnesses v .ICALV N T. MILANs, .WEDEMEIER. 7

Commissioner of Tatents, 

